All That It Would Take
by bubblyangel101
Summary: And if he was destined to oppose Gin, so be it. He'd fight, with every ounce of strength left in his body. All that it would take. Shinichi was ready for the challenge.
1. Things That Shouldn't Be Remembered

_Let me introduce you to a new character: my muse! For lack of a better name, I will just call her "The Muse."_

_**The Muse: **__Wah! What a boring name! Why couldn't you call me "Callisto" or "Alexandra" or-_

_**bubblyangel101: **__Because I'm the author, and you're not._

_**The Muse: **__*pouts and storms away*_

_I guess I won't be writing for awhile, because, as annoying as she is, I still need my muse...*chases after __**The Muse **__*_

Disclaimer: No ownie!

**oOo**

All That It Would Take

**In an abandoned warehouse, Beika City**

It was a cold and merciless day. The clear crystal bead necklaces that rained down from the gray skies pierced the small, 7-year-old boy's clothing, as if to mock him, as he streaked down the street. He was only a spot in the city, a mere speck of nothingness in the entire world, for all the organization cared. And yet...he was the only hope that Vermouth had; the only "Silver Bullet" left, as Akai Shuuichi had already been taken care of by Kir. Why a Silver Bullet? To pierce the hearts of those who were like werewolves, the Black Organization. No, they WERE werewolves, as far as cruelty goes. "Do you see anything of interest, Vermouth?" Gin asked, obviously noticing her interest in the rain-soaked streets of Beika City. The wisps of smoke from his cigarette floated into the murky air of the factory.

"No, nothing at all." Vermouth turned her back against the boy.

"Good." Gin replied as he and Vodka got onto his black Porsche 356A and sped away toward Beika City, 5th district. In other words, Mouri Detective Agency.

The small boy listened to their conversation through the transmitter and listening device that he had planted in the factory. A sense of dread threatened to overcome him as he sped back to the detective agency, afraid to stop running to even catch his breath. In his mind he knew that it was futile trying to get there before Gin did; what was his speed compared to a car? _Ran, Occhan, please be safe! _he prayed silently. But if the heavens heard him, they did not respond, choosing instead to remain as silent and cold as the menacing clouds that sent down torrents of icy rain to the town below.

At this point, you might be wondering, _Who is the boy? _as I have not yet disclosed his name to you. Let's just say that his name was supposed to belong to a dead person, a dead teenager who supposedly died in the dark grounds of Tropical Land. _Kudo Shinichi_. That is the name. But that is of little or no interest to the reader now, a meaningless combination of syllables and sounds.

The wet, cold, and dripping young boy arrived at the agency, only to see a mess of books, papers, and various items scattered all over the floor. No one was in sight. The ominous silence seemed to be telling him, _Too late! Too late! _and the boy peered out the window only to see a black Porsche cruise out of sight. The scent of a cigarette lingered in the air, and the boy clenched his fists. "Gin," he muttered, in a small whisper barely audible, and a murderous look, illuminated by a sudden flash of lightning, appeared on his face, a look that was far too old for his age. And he ran on, propelled by fury and rage, to the outside world, but it was a useless attempt. The black car, so visible before, had disappeared into the gray, bleak city that stretched far into the distance, along with the person that he cared about most.

oOo

**Conan's room, 2:00 A.M.**

Edogawa Conan woke up suddenly, his heart racing. His blankets were covered in cold sweat. He could still hear the rhythmic _Tap, Tap _of the rain outside, a sound that had seemed so cruel in his nightmare. The image of the deserted detective agency was still freshly imprinted into his mind, so fresh that he could almost feel the icy rain pounding into his back, each one like a little stab into his heart. _2:00 AM, _the scarlet red letters stated clearly on his digital clock.

He could hear Mouri's snoring, and he tiptoed to the kitchen, not that he would have to anyway, for the supposed "great detective" Mouri Kogoro would not wake up if a blazing meteor were to crash into his house. He wasn't called "Sleeping Kogoro" for nothing. After all, it was always Conan who solved all the murder cases and the most baffling tricks that the criminals used. He stood on his tiptoes to get a glass, which he then filled with water. It was a nuisance. Not pouring the water, but standing on his tiptoes. Really, he was 17 years old! Thinking about how he had been drugged to appear 7 by the Black Organization made him think about his dream all over again, an unpleasant experience that he'd rather not recall.

As Conan downed the glass of water, he took in the silence of the night, which, surprisingly, calmed him. Conan suddenly turned around. Did he hear a voice? _Nah, I must be thinking too much. _

He reentered his room and took a long, much-needed rest. A detective cannot corner an evil, heartless organization without the proper sleep and rest, no matter how brilliant he is, after all. And that was the last thing on Conan's mind as he drifted back into a deep, dreamless slumber.

oOo

**Hallway, 1:55 A.M.**

"Gin," Conan-kun was muttering in his sleep. Ran stopped briefly on her way back from the restroom. _Gin? Why would Conan-kun be concerned about alcohol? _She sighed. Conan-kun had not been sleeping very well lately. Every morning, she could see the dark circles under his red, tired eyes. Why would Conan-kun be so worried that he couldn't sleep? Ran shook her head, not knowing how to make sense of it all.

_Creak..._the door groaned as it opened. Maybe it was curiousity, maybe it was the fact that she was half-asleep, but Ran quickly hid behind one of the cabinets in the hallway. That particular cabinet was filled with famous and expensive Chinese china plates that had been sent to her father and mother as a wedding gift. It also contained many photos of Ran when she was younger, when Okaa-san hadn't left home. But wait...why was she thinking about this?

A very drowsy Conan-kun stepped into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. Ran watched him, her heart pounding. _Now this is silly, _the logical part of her brain complained. _It's just Conan-kun! Why do you have to hide?_

_Don't ask questions that I can't answer! _her heart shot back. It was some kind of a sixth sense, intuition, they called it, that made her hesitant to approach the boy in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water. Conan-kun yawned and padded sleepily back toward his bedroom.

Ran noticed that the back of his neck-no, his whole body-was covered in sweat. "Did he have a nightmare?" Ran accidentally said aloud. She froze as Conan-kun looked behind him suddenly. She nearly collapsed in relief when he continued to trudge toward his bed.

Something was bothering Conan-kun, and Ran was determined to find out exactly what that something was.

oOo

AN: So? Was it ok? Please review! It's the only way I can tell if someone's actually been reading this mindless stuff...he he.


	2. A Suspicious Character

Enjoy!

**oOo**

**Mouri Detective Agency, 2:17 P.M.**

The scent of pancakes and sausages wafted over to a very sleepy Conan, who staggered out of the restroom to be greeted by a certain girl with a very happy grin on her face. "Ohayo, Conan-kun!" Ran said enthusiastically. "Did you get enough sleep?"

Conan yawned. "Not really...but breakfast smells delicious, Ran-neechan!" he quickly added, and the frown that had begun to crease Ran's pale skin disappeared like mist in sunshine as her whole face lit up. _I knew she was worried about me, _Conan thought. Recently he had been having vivid nightmares, each one more terrible and frightening than the next, and Ran had begun noticing that his behavior wasn't that of an ordinary, carefree elementary school kid. They hadn't really had a face-to-face talk, but he could see it in her actions, how she was careful about what she said, and how she went out of her way to do nice things that she **thought** would make him happier. He appreciated her efforts, but then again...it wasn't like SHE could invent an antidote to revert him back to his 17-year-old self.

"Ran...breakfast?" Kogoro mumbled as he stumbled into the dining room. Ran put a slice of toast on his plate. "How come Conan gets pancakes? If you don't want it, I'll eat it," he said to Conan as he speared a sausage with his fork and lifted it up to his mouth.

"Otou-san! That's for Conan-kun!" Ran sighed as she took off her pink teddy bear apron and took a seat at the table.

"Don't shout!" Kogoro put a hand up to his head. "I have a hangover."

_No wonder. It's what you deserve for drinking cans and cans of beer since we left for school yesterday morning, _Conan thought mutinously. He cut a piece of pancake, drizzled syrup over it, and chewed. It was surprisingly good and took his mind off his worries for a moment. "Oishi!" he cried happily, trying to make Ran think that he was alright.

_Brrrrrring! Brrrrrring! _Conan's phone vibrated inside his pocket. That is, Shinichi's phone. Since the "incident," Conan kept two phones: one for Shinichi's calls and one for Conan's. He raced out into the hallway. "I'm going to the restroom!" he called over his shoulder.

Really, what a bad time to call, and when he was half-asleep, too! The caller ID read "Hattori Heiji." He breathed a sigh of relief. The Osakan high school detective was one of the few who knew about his real identity. Shoving his bow-tie voice modulator back into his back jean pocket, Conan answered the call. "Hattori? It's me."

"Kudo!" came the cheery Osakan-accented voice from the other end.

"Yes? And what is it this time?" The noisy television blasted in the background. Conan looked over at it, annoyed.

"WHAAAT? You don't know? I thought you would have heard about it by now!" came the reply.

"Heard about what?"

Just then, the news reporter started talking. "The world-famous Suzuki Corporation adviser, Suzuki Jirokichi-sama, has printed a challenge to Kaitou Kid on the morning newspaper! The location will be at the Haido City Hotel. We will now interview him. Mr. Suzuki, how confident are you in catching Kid with your bait this time, a fairy sculpture covered in gold?"

The image shifted to one of Suzuki Jirokichi. "I'll definitely catch him this time! KID! ARE YOU LISTENING? I'LL DEFINITELY CATCH YOU!" He shook his fist at the television camera.

In a house on the other side of Tokyo, Kuroba Kaito, who actually was Kaito Kid, visibly flinched._ The old guy certainly has some spirit this time! _he mused with a smile on his face. But he is not our main character, so I'll get back to the story.

"Oh, that old geezer's notice in the paper? Now I have," Conan replied swiftly. "Besides, what does that have to do with me? Can't you just watch it over in Osaka?"

There was a brief pause on the other end. "The truth is, my parents wanted to come visit Tokyo, so they bought train tickets...but now my father's tied up with new cases and my mother has to attend her friend's wedding. So, I was thinking that maybe you could..."

Conan held up his hands in surrender. Then, remembering that Hattori couldn't see the gesture, he replied, "Ok. But one question: Why would your parents want to visit us?"

Hattori smirked. "They wanted to hear stories from the GREAT DETECTIVE Mouri Kogoro, and how he solved all his cases."

Conan rolled his eyes. "Well, they were bound to be disappointed, because he won't remember a single thing." Every time a case came along, Conan would knock out the old man with a tranquilizer dart from his stun-gun wristwatch and use his bow-tie voice modulator to point out the culprit, hence the name "Sleeping Kogoro." The gadgets were invented by Shinichi's neighbor Professor Agasa, who was also clued in on his miniature malady.

Ran looked over. "Conan-kun? What are you doing in the hallway? Oh, you're talking to someone on the phone! Who is it?"

Conan froze. "Just Professor Agasa!" he called back cheerily. "He, uh, recently invented a new game!"

"I see." Ran turned her attention away from him and went back to lecturing her dad about the importance of NOT drinking so much beer. Conan sighed. He felt bad lying to her, really bad, but what could he do about it? The only way to not lie to her was to tell her the truth, which would put her in danger of being targeted by the Black Organization. It was all their fault!

"Oi, Kudo, is it ok on your end? Should I call you back?" Hattori asked worriedly.

"No, it's ok. So...when will you be coming over?"

"Today. In about...oh, 30 minutes."

"WHAAAAATTTT?" Conan screamed into the receiver, so loud that Ran and Occhan looked at him strangely and that Hattori cringed and pulled the phone away from his ear. "The game has Kamen Yaiba in it! How exciting! " he improvised quickly. He dropped his voice to a menacing whisper. "You're coming over-TODAY-and _now_ you tell me!"

"Hurry up and break the news to that oji-san and nee-chan." There was a brief pause. "By the way, Kudo, have you found out anything relating to that organization yet?"

"No, nothing at all." Conan sighed. "If anything, I've been having these nightmares, so real that I can still see the images." Conan shook his head, hard.

"You haven't been discovered? They haven't caught on yet, right?" Hattori inquired. "Oi, Kudo, answer me!"

"No. Why are you so worried?"

"Um...actually I had a nightmare, too. They came, the Black Organization, and...and...they shot you down. You died as soon as you hit the ground, and your blood pooled around you."

"How many times have I told you to not kill people in your dreams? I don't enjoy being killed, you know..." Conan tried to make a joke. There was no reply.

"Daijoubu! I'll be fine. See you in a while!" Conan hung up. Now all that remained was to tell Ran and Occhan. It was going to be difficult, as he had told them that he was talking to Agasa-hakase...but it was nothing for the great highschool detective Kudo Shinichi. Or was it?

oOo

**On a train to Beika City, 2:20 P.M.**

Toyama Kazuha tiptoed over to where Heiji was making a phone call, his back to her. "You haven't been discovered? They haven't caught on yet, right?" he was saying.

Kazuha cocked her head to one side. _Who could he be talking to? _

"Oi, Kudo, answer me!"

_Kudo? Kudo Shinichi? As in Ran's boyfriend? Why would he have to "be discovered?" Who would "catch on?" _The train gave a sudden, unexpected lurch, and Kazuha crashed into Heiji just as he was hanging up.

"Kazuha? What are you doing up out of your seat?" Heiji asked. Kazuha could see confusion and, what was that, CAUTION, in his eyes. She felt a little bit hurt. Why would he be wary of her? She blinked back tears. _Aho, _she thought to herself. _What are you crying about? _

She decided that it must be something very important, so important that he couldn't even tell her. Kazuha smiled smugly. _I'll tell Ran-chan. That's what you deserve for keeping secrets!_

"Kazuha? What are you smiling about?" Heiji looked thoroughly confused. "Did I do something funny?"

Kazuha's eyes refocused on Heiji. "Oh...I just wanted to ask you what you were doing," she improvised quickly. "Turns out you were making a phone call. Who were you talking to?"

Kazuha half-hoped that he would tell her the truth. "Oh, I was, uhh...talking to Ohtaki-han. Um...he wanted to say...that our parents wish us to have a safe trip!" Heiji finished and returned to his seat, averting her piercing gaze.

Her heart plummeted. "I see..." she said in a daze. He was LYING! To HER! What he had just said was all LIES! _If you're keeping a secret from me, I'll keep a secret from you. Ha! Imagine what Ran will say when I tell her!_ Kazuha smiled and stared out the window, not really looking at anything at all. But her smile was a bitter one, one pasted on just to reassure herself that she really WAS alright.

oOo

**Mouri Detective Agency, 2:55 PM**

Conan was thinking. Not thinking of a murder case (unfortunately, there hadn't been any recently), but of Haido City Hotel and Kid. So far all they had released on the media was that Kid had sent a text message that said, "Tonight at 8:00 P.M." It wasn't much to go on. Conan scratched his head in frustration. Normally Kaitou Kid would give him a whole notice to decode. He would never admit it to himself, but it was-sort of, at least-fun to decode Kid's messages.

He heard a loud snore, followed by a scream of "YOKO-CHAN! YOKO! YOKO! YOKO!" Conan didn't have to look over to guess who it was. Kogoro had fallen asleep on the sofa. Conan smiled, picturing Ran's face when she finished making lunch and saw the empty cans of beer and cigarettes littered all over the floor. The guy was hopeless. No wonder his wife left him.

He heard a knock on the door, then another one, then a lot more as Hattori Heiji started banging the door. "KUD-I mean-CONAN-KUUUUUNN! HURRY UP AND OPEN THE DOOR!"

"Coming," Conan muttered. _Really, Hattori can be so loud at times. _He opened the door. A cheeky dark-skinned detective grinned down at him.

Heiji never noticed Kazuha watching him with narrowed eyes. _Here he goes again. Why does he always call Conan "Kudo" and then correct himself?_ she wondered.

Ran hurried out of the kitchen. "Kazuha-chan!"

"Ran-chan!" Kazuha exclaimed as they hugged one another and jumped up and down in excitement.

"Hattori-kun is here, too! Wow, Kazuha-chan, you take your husband with you wherever you go," Ran teased.

Kazuha and Heiji's faces turned red as they exclaimed at the same time, "It's not like that!"

Ran and Conan only laughed harder. _Kudo, I'll get you for this! _Hattori fumed as he shot a death glare at the smirking young detective.

"Well, as long as we're waiting, we can go shopping! It's only 3 o'clock! Kid's heist is hours away!" Kazuha said, her arms waving in excitement.

"Sure! I know a new shop that opened near here!" Ran replied with equal enthusiasm. They started holding hands and jumping up and down again.

"Really, girls. They never change." Heiji sighed as he looked down at Conan. Conan shot him a sympathetic glance. "Well, I'm going to check out Haido City Hotel. See you!" Heiji said quickly before either Kazuha or Ran could object.

"Me, too!" Conan exclaimed. He and Heiji dashed down the steps and were gone before Kazuha and Ran could say a single word.

"Really, they look like brothers..." Ran mused, a slight smile tracing her lips.

_ Now is the time to tell Ran about what Heiji was talking about on the phone with Kudo-kun. _Kazuha decided. "Um...Ran...Listen, this is what Heiji said on the phone..."

oOo

"Eh? Are you SURE he said "Kudo?" He wasn't saying something else?" Ran exclaimed.

Kazuha shook her head. "I'm sure of it. He's been saying that for a while now..."

"But, Kazuha-chan, if Shinichi was in danger, wouldn't he tell me?" Ran asked, beginning to look a little scared and confused.

"That's what I can't figure out. And Heiji won't tell me anything either. When I asked him who he was talking to, he said it was Ohtaki-han! He LIED to me!" Tears began to well up in Kazuha's eyes, threatening to spill out.

Ran patted her back, but her mind was on other things. Kazuha's voice kept ringing through her mind_. "You haven't been discovered? They haven't caught on yet, right?"_ _What does that mean, Shinichi? Why can't you tell me? _Ran tried to fit the pieces of the puzzle together, but they didn't fit. _Kazuha-chan must have heard wrong. It must've been someone else. If it really WAS you, you'd tell me...right?_

Now Ran was the one almost in tears. In an attempt to brighten up the mood, she said, "Kazuha-chan, let's not waste the afternoon here! That shop has really pretty clothing!"

Kazuha managed a weak smile. "Okay. But, Ran-chan, here's something I've noticed: Heiji always calls Conan-kun Kudo! I don't know why, but...it's just WEIRD! Like today, when we were walking in, and when we went to Kyoto, and-"

"I get it, Kazuha-chan. But every time I try to prove that Conan is Shinichi, every time I just know, I get proven wrong. That's probably just a coincidence. It's almost as if...as if God knows and is trying to keep me from finding out. The proof is always just **there.**"

Kazuha sighed. "I guess secrets will be kept, huh?" She smiled a teary smile.

If you were to pass by Mouri's Detective Agency at the moment that Kazuha and Ran were walking out, you would see two girls, each with a smile on their face-a smile that was not happy at all.

AN: Help! Help me! I can't think of a lousy plan to catch KID! Please help me, readers. I am really at a dead end. *gets down on knees and begs*

Also, please review! Yesterday I was so happy at getting one review that I accidentally rolled over backwards. :)


	3. Ruby Star

For the people who don't know, I added new content to the back of Chapter 1. Go read! :)

oOo

**Haido City Hotel, 3:15 P.M.**

"Squad A, go to the back! Squad B, surround the entrance to the lobby! Squad C, block all the exits! Squad D, pr-" Nakamori Ginzo's rant was interrupted by his daughter's voice.

"Otou-san, I brought your lunch! I thought you might be hungry, chasing Kid around all the time." Nakamori Aoko smiled as she dangled a bento with a blue handkerchief tied around it in front of her father's face. "Kaito says hello too, right, Kaito?" Aoko looked around for her childhood friend. "Kaito?"

"Oh, hi! Just...um...exploring around the place," Kuroba Kaito said as he rushed back into the room.

Nakamori (the elder one) gave Kaito a fleeting glance. "You can put it on the table over there, Aoko." He took up ordering his troops around again.

Just then, Hattori Heiji and Edogawa Conan rushed in between the hotel doors. _Well, well, meitantei. We meet again. Hello to you too, Detective of the West._ Kaito thought with a smug grin on his face. He knew who they were, but they didn't know him. They knew him...as Kaitou Kid.

Nakamori-keibu stopped his shouting to answer a phone call. "Yes, yes, yes, WHAT? Oh well." He paused. "Too bad. Don't worry, I can hold him off right here." He flipped his phone shut.

"Otou-san, who was that?" Aoko asked quizzically.

"One of Suzuki-sama's servants. The guy was so excited about catching Kid that he tripped and fell down some stairs, or something like that. But we can do just fine without him. Mwah ha ha ha ha!"

Kaito shuddered. _Really, your enthusiasm is exciting. It's almost pathetic. _He turned his head to see several whispering men in black. _What are they here for? _

"Kaito? Are you okay?" Aoko frowned. "Your face is all scrunched up."

"I'm-" Kaito began.

"He'll be fine." A crisp British-accented voice answered Aoko before Kaito could.

"Hakuba..." Kaito said with no feeling whatsoever. The detective gave him a brief nod. Hakuba Saguru couldn't really be called a detective, though. He spent more time in trying to catch Kid than solving murder cases. He knew that Kaito was Kaito Kid, even if Kaito never admitted to it. _Thank God that he doesn't have any evidence._

"3:17.21 P.M." Hakuba announced. _As if everyone here is as time-obsessed as you are, Hakuba, _Kaito thought silently, inwardly laughing at the so-called "watch that only loses 0.001 seconds per year" on Hakuba's wrist. It was just another one of many things that annoyed Kaito about him.

As for others Kaito could name, he was arrogant, a huge know-it-all, and...something about the way he treated Aoko that made Kaito...jealous? Kaito shook his head. _How can I be jealous? Aoko is just...just a friend. That's all._

_ Are you trying to convince me or yourself? _his heart retorted. In an effort to take his mind off the topic, Kaito glanced around at all of the men running around, trying to please Inspector Nakamori, which wasn't exactly an easy thing to do, as Kaito had learned...in more ways than one. Now all that was left was to decide whose identity to assume when he stole the sculpture. Kaito almost laughed out loud. _This is going to be one easy heist!_

It might be an easy heist for Kaitou Kid, but things were getting complicated for Shinichi, or should I say, Conan. Because pretty soon, it was just a matter of time before his identity was discovered, by the one who deserved to know most.

Inspector Nakamori's eyes widened. "Wait a minute...if Suzuki-san isn't going to be here, then how is he going to carry out his "secret plan" to catch Kid and protect Ruby Star?"

_He can't. _Kaito smirked. His scrutiny didn't go unnoticed by Conan, who shot him a curious look. He heard him ask his "Ran-neechan" who "that onii-san" was.

"What's Ruby Star?" Aoko whispered.

"It's the jewel, Aho-ko. The 'ruby' part is because of the jewel set on the fairy's head, " Kaito said. "Don't you think you should have read up before you came here?"

"I'm sorry, Ba-kaito. I was only studying for our history test tomorrow. Not everyone is as brilliant as you are." Her voice had a hint of sarcasm.

_Always fighting. _Nakamori looked over at them and sighed. "Revert to Plan B!" He barked at his troops. Kaito watched him as he began scanning every person in the room. "Is anyone willing to hold Ruby Star so Kid can't steal it?"

Suzuki Sonoko chose that moment to barge in through the revolving hotel doors. "I will! I will!"

"No, you'd gladly give the sculpture to Kid if it meant that you could actually talk to him. Anyone else? We need...a girl, probably, so Kid won't be suspicious. Martial arts experience would be perfect."

Ran raised her hand. "Umm...I know karate, if that's enough."

"She won the championships!" Sonoko exclaimed. "Ran, you should be proud of yourself!"

Nakamori nodded. "Listen, here's the plan..."

oOo

**At a shop in Beika City, 4:00 P.M.**

"Ran-chan, do you think this dress looks pretty on me? Ran-chan?" Kazuha waved a hand in front of her friend's face.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It fits you perfectly, Kazuha-chan." Ran was not paying attention.

"Ran-chan!" Kazuha sat down beside her. "Are you still thinking about Kudo-kun?"

Ran sighed. "Who would think about that baka? I was just...just..."

Kazuha put her hands on her hips. "Admit it, Ran-chan, you're worried about that 'baka.'"

"Okay, so what if I am? It's normal to worry about your childhood friend; you said so yourself."

"I don't have a childhood friend." Sonoko flopped onto the couch. "Ran, he'll be alright! Especially when he has such a caring wife worrying about him."

For once Ran didn't reply with the usual, "I'm not his wife!" She had on a thoughtful look. "Ne, why doesn't Shinichi ever ask about what I'm doing? He always seems to just **know**."

"Maybe Conan-kun told him?" Kazuha suggested.

Ran shook her head. "No, Shinichi doesn't even use Conan-kun's name when he talks. He always calls him 'that kid' or something like that. If he knew Conan-kun so well that they were calling each other, Shinichi would at least know his name."

Sonoko giggled. "Maybe he's been spying on his beloved girlfriend?"

Ran threw her hands up. "Why are we talking about this when we could be picking out new outfits? Let's go." But the wheels in her mind were turning. If Shinichi had walked by and seen the look on her face, he would've seriously been scared.

AN: Like it? Please review!


	4. Entrance of the Black Organization

**me: **I'm getting tired of typing 'bubblyangel101' so I'm typing 'me' instead. Oh wait...I just typed it. *slaps self*

**Shinichi: **I bet no one's even reading this.

**me: **Be quiet. *trudges off to bed*

**The Muse: **Don't own, don't own, don't own. Apparently Kaito isn't going to steal the copyright for us. (Something about not helping people who torture him?) Don't know what that's about.

oOo

So...where to begin? I could start talking about the hotel. But I won't.

oOo

**On a deserted street, 7:35 PM**

"So...the traitor will be there?" Vermouth asked.

"Definitely. We have strict orders from That Person not to kill her at the scene, though; just to track her." The voice from her cell phone sounded pinched and strained, like a woman's.

"OK, Boss." The cell phone snapped shut with a 'click.' Her motorcycle once again sped toward Haido City Hotel.

oOo

**Haido City Hotel, 7:55 PM**

The plan was simple, really. Just hold on to the sculpture, and not let go. Maybe it was the fact that Nakamori-keibu had to come up with this in the heat of the moment. Maybe they just weren't smart enough.

Whatever the reason, Ran was sitting, alone, in a chair in the middle of the lobby. Apparently the sensors would get Kid, and all she had to worry about was to sit still and not let go.

Still, it was kind of hard to keep her focus when a bunch of angry Kid fans outside were shouting about how _they _deserved to have Kid-sama steal the sculpture from them, or when Nakamori was shouting last-minute instructions at his troops. (That guy either has huge lungs or a big mouth. Maybe both.)

Anyway. The best thing to do now, would be to think. And naturally, Ran had a good thing to think about: The Mystery of Kudo Shinichi.

oOo

**Outside the hotel, same time**

Of course Haibara had come along. How could she say no to Ayumi? At some point she had looked around for Kudo-kun, but he seemed to be absent. _Well, going off by himself is his favorite sport, _she thought absentmindedly.

2 days ago had been the anniversary of her sister's death. 'Anniversary' almost seems too nice a word for it. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched by Them. _It's just me overreacting, _Ai told herself. _Nothing's wrong._

"Ai-chan! Come with us to the front! They're letting people inside!" Ayumi shouted as she grabbed Haibara's hand.

"Come on, Haibara-san!" Mitsuhiko ran the the front doors of the hotel.

"Wait for me!" Genta hastily ate the rest of his grapes and wiped his hands on his pants.

They were now inside the lobby. It was incredibly spacious for such a small area. There was a small area in the middle that had ropes surrounding it on both sides. Also in the middle was a sign that said, "Do not come near!" with a very graphic illustration of a stick figure being electricuted to death.

"Kojima-kun, if you eat that much you'll get a bellyache." Haibara looked around for Genta, but he was already sprinting for the restroom, muttering "toilet, toilet" to himself. She smiled. Really, they would never learn. Sometimes she felt like their mother...

The Professor had opted to stay at home. "I'll just watch from the TV. You guys go," he had said, but Haibara suspected him of staying home to eat his Fruit Roll-ups while she wasn't around.

_Geez, always acting like such a kid, _she thought silently, completely oblivious to the woman who was staring at her outside the doors.

oOo

Vermouth was cleverly disguised as an onlooker. She glanced toward the entrance and saw a small, brown-haired girl racing toward the revolving glass doors. _Found you. _

There really were no words to describe her hate. They just didn't get along, period. Vermouth + Sherry= huge fight/serious damage to any onlooker's ears. Oh well.

You might be wondering why Vermouth decides to expose Sherry all of a sudden. (Remember her promise to Conan?) Well, it wasn't her decision. It was That Person's, or Anokata's. Why Anokata decides to probe into the mystery of Miyano Shiho is unknown, and probably never will be known. But I'm just confusing you. Back to the main story...

oOo

**Near Haido City Hotel, same time**

Kaito couldn't help but chuckle. _How are you going to catch me if you're wounded, Jirokichi-san? _At least his favorite tantei-kun was going to be there. Getting past him was going to be a challenge.

_Whoosh! _In a split second, the young man of the rooftop had changed from Kuroba Kaito into an innocent looking security guard. He pushed through the crowds that were gathered together, chanting "KID! KID! KID!" and rushed to the hotel doors. For anyone wondering where the real security guard is, I assure you that he's probably in some car, snoring away.

"FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!" On the one, Kaitou Kid magically materialized in the room.

"KID! GET HIM!" Nakamori shouted. More than 10,000 pounds of human flesh rushed toward Kaito. But when they got him, he had disappeared.

Ran was unconscious on the floor. And, no, it wasn't her fault. Everyone else who entered the room, including Nakamori-keibu, became unconscious, too.

Except for Kid. He had a gas mask on. After all, he was the one who let the sleeping gas enter the room. "I'll be taking this," he snickered as he took the sculpture. He didn't usually use such an easy method as sleeping gas to steal things, but Kaito felt impatient tonight.

He rushed out through the back exit (the front one was still crammed with Kid fans) and quickly closed the door. Sure enough, his favorite detective was waiting for him, along with the Detective of the West.

"Sleeping gas. A dirty trick, I must say," Conan commented with a dry look.

"Well, well. If it isn't tantei-kun and tantei-han." Kid said in the voice he reserved specially for heists. "But I'm sorry; I will be taking my leave, so excuse my rudeness." And with that, he threw a flash bomb and slipped off into thin air, leaving behind a frustrated 7-year-old boy and a cursing 17-year-old young man.

oOo

**On her motorcycle, near the hotel, 8:10 PM**

Vermouth smiled. "Ah, yes, I've located the target."

There was a brief pause on the other end, and a faint crackling of static could be heard.

"Transmitter? Yes, I put it there." Another pause. "Oh, we'll find out soon enough. We don't need her anymore, either. Her cousin will do the research just fine. She has the cruelty that Sherry never did."

And with those words, Vermouth snapped her phone shut with a satisfying _Click. _Her motorcycle picked up speed once again and was lost in the darkness of the night.

oOo

AN: I hope that was ok! I know, I haven't updated, blah blah blah... Big thankies to everyone who reviewed! 'I would blow you all kisses, but it would embarrass you,' as my elementary band teacher often said.

Please review! Onegai! Reviews give me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, not to mention motivation...:)


	5. A New Member and Model

**me: **Read and review! Read and review! Read and review!

**Haibara: **If you keep saying that, you'll just make them annoyed.

**me: **Read and review! Read and review! Read and review!

**Haibara: **Okay, now you're just annoying me. *walks away*

**me: **Wait! If you're not here, I can't put you in the story! Wait a minute...*pulls out Haibara clone* I can just use your clone!

**Haibara: **My WHAT?

**Haibara clone: **Hi, Ai-chan!

**Haibara: ***faints and falls to floor*

**me: **Help! Call 911, someone! Mouri-occhan, can you call 911 for me?

**Kogoro: **I don't know...I can't find the 11 button.

Anyway...no ownie! Enjoy the next chappie!

oOo

**On the road to school, 6:30 AM**

"Ne, Ran, why don't you just give up on Shinichi-kun already?" Sonoko asked for the umpteenth time. "Besides, Araide-sensei is a perfectly capable guy. Much more stable and reliable than your current husband."

"He's not my husband! And besides, I'm too young to be thinking about complicated relationships, much less be in one," Ran retorted sharply.

"Oh, really? You've BEEN in a relationship with Shinichi-kun since you first met."

"Sonoko! Jeez..."

"Hey, where's that brat with the glasses? He normally walks with you..."

"Oh, Conan-kun?" Ran lowered her voice to a whisper. "He said he'd walk alone today. The truth is, he's been acting stranger and stranger. Not like a 7-year-old kid."

"Stranger and stranger?"

Ran nodded. "He never smiles unless I look at him and asks what's wrong. And he doesn't get enough sleep! 2 days ago, I heard him muttering something about gin in his sleep. You know, the alcohol?"

Sonoko stopped walking. "That IS strange," she agreed.

But Ran wasn't done yet. "And Shinichi...he hasn't called for a while. When he does, his voice sounds cheerful, but it's strained. Like how Conan-kun only smiles when I look at him."

"And your point is?"

"You know how I had some time alone at the Kid heist?"

Sonoko nodded, for once not turning into a helpless, squealing fangirl at the sound of the name "Kid."

"I was thinking what Kazuha-chan said about Hattori-kun calling Conan-kun 'Kudo.' You remember; I told you, right?" Ran said quickly, not really stopping long enough to give Sonoko time to answer. "Don't you think it's weird? That whenever Shinichi's sad, Conan-kun is too?"

"That could be a coincidence," Sonoko protested.

Ran shook her head. "Last time when Conan-kun had a cold, Shinichi did too."

"How would you know?"

"He called me, remember? But then again, if Conan-kun IS Shinichi, he should have some way to speak in his normal voice..."

Sonoko frowned. "How do you know it isn't someone else? A voice actor, maybe?"

"I KNOW when it's Shinichi speaking. I just know."

Before this important conversation could come to an end, Teitan High School towered over the two girls. "We're finally here!" Ran threw her arms up into the air. "Well, I have to get going. See you, Sonoko!"

"See you, Ran!"

oOo

**Teitan Elementary School, Lunchtime**

_Brrrring! Brrrring! Brrring! _Conan's 'Conan' phone rang in his pocket, if that makes any sense. "Moshi moshi?"

"It's me, Cool Kid," a woman's voice answered. "Listen...Kir called me."

"She did?"

Jodie-sensei (for that's who the mystery caller was) continued, "She doesn't have any new information on Bourbon, but she does know of a new member: Chardonnay."

"Chardonnay?"

"It's a type of white wine. Haven't heard of it? Oh well. Apparently this Chardonnay person is a woman, who is quite advanced in science and chemicals. Our main suspect is-"

"You have a suspect already?" Conan was almost jumping up and down with joy. Almost. Anything that could lead him closer to bringing down the Black Organization-and going back to Kudou Shinichi-was worth rejoicing over.

"Sugiyama Haruka."

"Sugiyama Haruka...isn't she the head of that new makeup line? Sparkly Shadows or something?" Conan said, remembering something that Ran had told him about a few days ago.

"Summer Shadows, actually. We suspect her because-"

Before Jodie-sensei could finish, she was interrupted by Ayumi. "Conan-kun? Who're ya talkin' to?"

"Um," Conan gulped. Just then the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. _Saved by the bell, I guess._ He said a quick goodbye to Jodie-sensei when Ayumi looked away. "Guess I'll have to call her back later," he muttered to himself.

"Call who?"

Conan nearly jumped out of his skin as he was surprised by a female for the second time in 5 minutes. "Ha-haibara!"

Haibara stood next to him, tapping her foot impatiently. "Nani? Is there something you've been hiding from me?"

"No...ha ha. Ran just told me to call her." He quickly walked away.

Haibara stared at Conan's back. She wasn't convinced; not at all.

oOo

**Hattori residence, 6:30 P.M.**

"Now, Heiji, I need you to run down to the store and get these things for me. Remember, Mr. and Mrs. Watanabe are coming over." Shizuka handed her son a list of grocery items. "You do remember where the vegetable aisle is, right? And the meat section? And-"

She was interrupted by her impatient son. "MOM! Yes, I know where they are. I'll go get them already, 'kay?"

"Be careful, Heiji!" As soon as she finished her sentence, Heiji made a mad dash for the door that would have put Kudo to shame.

He got onto his motorcycle, put on his helmet, and sped away. When he arrived at the front door of the supermarket, his phone rang. _Note to self: Change ringtone, _he thought mournfully as outdated music blasted from the tiny appliance.

"Kudo?" he wondered out loud. He put his phone up to his ear. "Yep, what's up? What depressing news do you have this time?"

"Hattori..."

"'Kay, 'kay! So, what'd you want to talk to me about?"

Conan quickly related the contents of Jodie-sensei's phone call to him. "I called her back, but she said that was all the information she had," he finished.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for her. Bye then." Heiji hung up and walked into the supermarket. _When was the last time I was here? Seems like such a long time ago..._

He passed a poster of a model with only her eyes showing. "Summer Shadows: Not just about eyeshadow," he read. _Isn't that the company Kudo told me about? _Heiji's eyes focused on the model's emerald green eyes. "Where have I seen those eyes before?"

Those eyes seemed to dominate his thoughts as he absentmindedly picked up items from his mother's list. _Got all the meat...check. All the fruit...check. All the drinks...check. All the vegetables...check. _He walked to the cashier and paid for the groceries.

Another poster of the same model was posted near the exit. When he passed it this time, something clicked inside.

Those haunting eyes...they were Kazuha's.

oOo

AN: Yay! Another chapter is finished! Whew.

**Shinichi: **Pssh...nobody's even reading this.

**me: **Oh, be quiet. You're just mad 'cause Ran's gonna make you jealous in the next chap-ah, nothing! *mutters quietly* Note to self-stop posting spoilers in the Author's Notes section.

**Haibara: **So please review!

**Mitsuhiko: **Haibara-san, you're back!

**Haibara: **Indeed I am. Though I WAS in critical condition thanks to SOMEONE...*glares*

**me: ***hides Haibara clone behind back* Ah ha ha...wonder who that could be?

So that is it for this chapter! Thanks for reading and please review! I know, I know, I've said that, like, 5 times?

**Haibara: **Six.

**me: **Oh well. Give me a break!


	6. Some Weird Gadgets

**me: **Waaah! I was rereading "E is for Everything." How could the author be so cruel? Oh wait...the author's me.

**The Muse: **Of course you're cruel. You're an author. EVERYONE knows that authors are cruel to their poor, pathetic, characters.

**me: **Leave me alone. You're on vacation, remember?

As always, please review!

oOo

**Mouri Detective Agency, 5:30 P.M.**

"Be careful not to lose them, Shinichi!" Agasa-hakase's words echoed in Conan's head. He sighed and put the spare tracking glasses on the nightstand.

He didn't realize how tired he was until he lay down on his bed. His last concious thought was that he better put the glasses away, or Ran would find them...

oOo

**Same place, 6:00 P.M.**

"Mou, Ran. Just accept his invitation already! Araide-sensei was kind enough to ask," Sonoko reprimanded her ever-so-loyal friend.

"I can't." Ran shook her head. "I need to take care of Conan-kun and make dinner."

"Then why don't you just take him and your dad to Araide-sensei's house tomorrow? I'm sure they won't mind preparing a little extra dinner."

"I don't think Conan-kun likes Araide-sensei very much. Whenever I go there, he glares at him." She threw up her hands in exasperation.

Sonoko laughed evilly. "Maybe the little brat is jealous?"

"Sonoko! Why would Conan-kun be jealous?"

Her friend smirked. "You said yourself that he's Shinichi-kun. And, as we all know-" She paused briefly for dramatic effect. "Shinichi is VERY possessive of his wife."

"That's impossible!"

Sonoko checked her watch briefly. "Oh no! I thought I was just supposed to leave you at the intersection? Aaargh! And I walked all the way to your home! What is my chauffeur going to think?"

"You better hurry up and go."

"'Kay, see you, Ran!" Sonoko waved and took off running.

"That Sonoko..." Ran muttered as she trudged up the stairs. She pushed open the door. "Tadaima!"

Her dad was missing, as usual. _Probably gone to drink beer again..._But Conan should probably be home. "Conan-kun?" She pushed open the door to his room.

He was splayed out on the bed, his glasses on the nightstand. Ran was about to leave him in peace when she noticed that Conan had ANOTHER pair of glasses on his face. She sighed for the nth time that day and took them off.

"Does it really feel that nice to wear glasses?" Ran put a pair of Conan's on her face. She didn't feel any different.

After a while, she noticed that there was no change in her vision. _Am I wearing them wrong? Conan-kun DID say that he had bad eyesight, so why would he lie? Unless..._Ran froze as the truth dawned on her. _He needs a disguise?_

She absentmindedly ran her hands around the glasses' wire frame. An antenna suddenly popped up and a weblike screen appeared on the lenses. "What's this?" she accidentally said out loud.

Conan shifted in his sleep. Ran panicked and quickly put the glasses back on his face and the nightstand. If Conan-kun really was Shinichi, he would figure out that she had been touching his things...and then what? Maybe he would think of a way to fool her like he did before.

_Silly...you're a detective's daughter, _Ran thought to herself. _You can stay undercover. _

Conan stirred and accidentally knocked his bowtie to the floor. Ran picked it up. There was some sort of mechanism on the back with dials. She twirled one of the dials. "Hmm...what does this do?" the voice that came out was Agasa-hakase's.

Ran jumped. She twirled another dial. This time it was her dad's voice. She began twirling the dials like crazy. Shinichi's voice HAD to be on here somewhere!

Conan was startled awake by the sound. He saw her with the bowtie and would have fallen down had he not been sitting on the bed. "Ran-neechan!"

"Conan-kun, what's this?"

"It's just a toy that Agasa-hakase made for me..." his voice trailed off as he stared nervously at Ran. He was inwardly panicking.

Much to his surprise, she returned the bowtie to him. "Is that so? Here you go, Conan-kun. I'll go make dinner." Ran waltzed into the kitchen, humming a song under her breath.

As soon as she was alone, she stopped humming. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. _Just you wait, Shinichi._

oOo

**Agasa's house, 6:45 P.M.**

Conan was talking animatedly to the professor. "I'm not sure, but this is the first time she's found the bowtie. Do you have another invention?"

Agasa scratched his head. "Ehh...I'll see what I can do. But didn't you say yourself that she didn't look that suspicious of you?"

"I can't underestimate her."

"Oh...I'll see what I can do. Ai-kun, what are we going to have for dinner?" Agasa called into the kitchen, where Haibara was frantically searching the refrigerator.

"Hakase...did you eat all the food in here? We need vegetables. And fruit."

Agasa frowned. "Well, then, I'll go buy some groceries. Shinichi, do you want to come with me?"

Conan thought about it for a while. "Wouldn't do any harm. And, Hakase, are you SURE you know how to buy groceries?"

The professor laughed nervously.

oOo

**At the supermarket, 7:15 P.M.**

"Let's see...we need cabbage and tomatoes. Shinichi, where are the cabbage and tomatoes?"

Shinichi merely pointed as his phone began to ring. "Oi, Hattori, what's up?"

"Forgot to tell you, Kudo, but that makeup company you told me about? On one of their posters, I saw Kazuha."

"Are you sure?"

Conan could practically picture Hattori's frustrated expression on the other end. "Of course I'm sure! I'd know those eyes anywhere!"

"Wait a minute...you just saw her eyes?"

"That's not the point."

Conan was finding it hard to pay attention to what Hattori was saying. Agasa was signaling at him frantically. _What? _he mouthed silently.

Agasa was pointing like crazy at the spot around the corner.

Ran turned the corner to the vegetable section. "Conan-kun! You're helping the professor, aren't you? Hello, Agasa-hakase."

Conan froze and quickly hung up before Ran could notice that he was talking on the phone. "Ahh...Ran-neechan!"

Ran smiled. "Then, I won't bother you two. Conan-kun, don't forget to come back! I'm making your favorite beef stew!" She winked at him, patted his head, and strode away.

Agasa raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't seem like she's suspicious of you."

"I hope not."

oOo

**Near the professor's car, 7:40 P.M.**

"Phew! Finally got all that shopping done!" Agasa looked quizzically at Shinichi. "What are you doing, Shinichi?"

Conan was crouched under the professor's car. "Hakase...there's a transmitter on your car. And a listening device."

oOo

AN: GAAAHH! That was horrible! Sorry for writing in such a hurry...

**Shinichi: **You always write in a hurry.

**Me: **That's not the point.

So, please review and leave suggestions! I'm kind of running out of ideas...:) It would be a big help if you could give me some!


	7. Sick

**me: **I wonder who I should talk to this time...hmmm...Kaito or Aoko?

**Kaito: **You can talk to Aoko's mop! *hands mop over*

**me: **Aren't you afraid that the mop will attack you?

**Kaito: **Nah, we already made a compromise. As long as I feed and clothe it, nothing's going to happen. *waltzes away into the distance*

**me: **Okay...wait, how can you feed and clothe a mop? (to mop) How can Kaito feed and clothe you?

**mop: **...

**me: **Heeellllooo?

**mop: **...

**me: **Anyone home?

**mop: **...

**me: **Okay, that was a total waste of time. *throws mop aside*

**mop: **OUCH! What'd you do that for? I don't talk to idiots, you moron!

**me: ***falls to floor in shock* What? Mops can't talk! Wait a minute...you talked to me. And you don't talk to idiots. So that means...that I'm not an idiot? But then you called me a moron...hmm.

**mop: **...

**me: ***sighs* I just don't get mops. So touchy.

oOo

**Agasa's house, 8:15 P.M.**

"Do you think it's them?" Conan stood behind Haibara, his small frame casting a shadow. "Hey, Haibara, answer me!"

Haibara's eyes were wide with shock. "I...can't say. It's like them...but not like them. It doesn't have the scent...but it has the style. It is, but it isn't."

Conan raised an eyebrow. "WHAT?" he asked incredulously. "'It is, but it isn't'? What's that supposed to mean? Did they plant the transmitter or not?"

"Hey, Shinichi," Agasa whispered, "If she doesn't know, then we can't push her. Give her some time."

Conan heaved a huge sigh. "Okay," he muttered as he followed Agasa back into the house.

oOo

**On the way home, 4:45 P.M.**

Heiji kicked the leaves on the sidewalk and watched in surprised delight as they settled in his hair and clothes. "Yippee!"

Kazuha shook her head. _He's never going to grow up...but I like it that way._

Heiji had been trying to gather up the nerve to ask Kazuha all morning. Ask what? Why she was on that poster, of course. What else?

But what exactly could he say? You can't really say, "Oh, hi. I'd like to know why you're a model now," and then, once they tell you, tell them, "Don't be a model." And then Kazuha'd surely ask, "Why?" and then he'd be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Nope, can't exactly tell her, "Oh, by the way, your boss may be part of the Black Organization." But if he didn't tell her, he was in for a round of "Ahos!"

Heiji decided that "Ahos!" sounded better.

oOo

**In front of the Toyama residence, 4:50 P.M.**

"Why? Can't I?"

Heiji sputtered. "Aho! You don't even tell your best friend?"

"Do I have to?" Kazuha glared at Heiji. He couldn't respond. "Thought not," she said coolly.

"B-but, you CAN'T! It's DANGEROUS!" Heiji immediately covered his mouth. _Stupid, big bad mouth. Now what are you going to do? _Sarcastic Heiji remarked.

_Daijoubu. Hattori Heiji always finds a way out. ALWAYS, _Huge Ego Heiji reassured Worrywart Heiji, who was huddled up in a corner with a blanket.

Heiji Heiji had no time to react as Kazuha turned around and spat, "What do you mean it's dangerous? I never knew Mr. Detective actually cared."

"Ah...ah...ah...AHO! You can't go because...you're...uh, not pretty enough! That's it...um, you can't be a model because you're not pretty enough! Aho!" Heiji finally finished. _Too late, _he realized when he saw the hurt and shock on Kazuha's face.

She couldn't say anything and felt tears well up. She reached up to brush them away, but not so fast that Heiji missed the glimpse of the clear droplets streaking down her face. Kazuha turned, ran into her house, and shut the door. _Click, _went the top lock. _Creak, _went the bottom lock.

That was it. Hattori Heiji was officially locked out of Toyama Kazuha's house for the first time.

Heiji banged his head and fist against a hard oak tree and succeeded in making them both bleed. "Aho, what kind of a friend are you?" he whispered to himself. "Oi, Kudo, turn back soon."

Kazuha never saw Heiji gulp and try to hold back his tears. Because no matter how much his head and hand stung, nothing hurt more than his heart. He had hurt her, and Heiji wasn't sure she would forgive him. Ever.

oOo

**Mouri Detective Agency, 10:10 P.M.**

"Mou, Conan-kun! It's already 10 minutes past ten o'clock!" Ran scolded as she fussed over the blushing young boy.

"Gomen nasai, Ran-neechan. Agasa-hakase had a new game he wanted me to test out," Conan explained.

"That hakase, always inventing games. Well, what was it about?"

"Ah..." Conan hesitated. He wasn't really playing a game. "Um...Kamen Yaiba! And he was fighting monsters! It was SOOO fun!" he ended his childlike speech with a laugh.

"Is that so? Well, Conan-kun, it's getting late. Oyasumi." Ran turned to walk to her room. "Don't forget to brush your teeth!"

Ran stopped short. "Oh, Conan-kun, can you go to the hakase's tomorrow, too? Araide-sensei invited me over for dinner," she explained with an apologetic smile.

"Araide-sensei? Oh, I want to go too!" Conan wailed. _That Araide...trying to get close to Ran, is he? Over my dead body._

"It's okay, Conan-kun. We'll talk about it with Otou-san in the morning."

"Noooo! I-WANT-TO-GO! Onegai, Ran-neechan! I'll be good and do the dishes!" And with those words, Conan zoomed into the kitchen and began finishing up the dishes. When he was done with that, he started vacuuming the floor.

Ran scooped Conan off the floor. "Conan-kun, that's enough! Let's get some sleep, okay?" She carried a protesting Conan to bed and tucked him in. "Goodnight, Conan-kun."

oOo

**Same place, the next day, 7:30 A.M.**

"A new day is here again..." Ran stretched her arms and started making breakfast. She stopped. _My throat...it hurts when I swallow. _

"Ohayo, Ran-neechan!" Conan-kun stood behind her, bright and cheerful. Ran suspected him of not sleeping again, judging from the dark bags under his eyes. But at least he was putting on a show for her, and Ran was too tired to object.

"Ran-neechan?" Conan peered up at her, worried.

Ran opened her mouth, but no words came out. She tried a second time. "I'm fine, Conan-kun," she managed to say, her voice dry and sick-sounding.

Before she could stop him, Conan had grabbed a chair, stood on it, and pushed her bangs back to check her temperature. _Just like Shinichi...minus the chair._

"Ran-neechan! You're sick! Call Araide-sensei and tell him you can't go."

"I'm okay..." Ran grabbed a chair and sank down on it.

"No, you're not." Conan picked up the phone and called. "Araide-sensei? Ran can't go. She's sick." He then proceeded to hang up. "See? Everything's fine, Ran-neechan. Ayumi-chan and the others are calling me to play, so stay in bed and don't get any sicker!"

Ran stared. "O-okay..." _He called me Ran. No one calls me Ran. But...Shinichi and Conan...that's impossible. And he didn't want me to eat with Araide-sensei...is Sonoko right? _

Hot tears coursed down her face. _No, I don't want to know. _"Ne, Shinichi, how many secrets can one person have?" she said out loud, not bothering to wipe her tears.

"Depends on the person."

Ran turned around. Standing there, leaning casually against the doorway, as if he belonged there, was a young man of seventeen years of age, with a messy mop of black hair and thrilling blue eyes. She'd known him all her life.

Because that person was Kudo Shinichi.

oOo

AN: Thanks to **Kuroba's Pet Fish **for being the first to review! Also to **Akai Hoshi Neko **for reviewing twice, and **Sock Monsta **for reviewing three times! Yay for reviews! Please review this chapter, too.

Well, that's it. Til next time!


	8. Multiple Views on the Same Thing

There was no way. It was impossible.

No matter how I thought it through, I didn't think this was possible. And worst of all, I didn't know if it was really him or an impostor.

In that moment, I finally realized that I couldn't trust him anymore. I couldn't count on his word. I couldn't believe in him.

And that hurt me the most, you know. To find that I was incapable of trusting my best friend.

oOo

Not a single word was passed between them in more than five minutes. No "Welcome back!" No "Hey, it's me."

If he realized something was wrong, he didn't say anything. He had been dreading this moment, actually. His smile slowly melted away from his features as he took in the severity of the situation.

She didn't look at him. Instead, she just asked one simple question. "When are you leaving?"

The question took him by surprise-in a bad way. Not "Will you leave?" She was already certain of it.

"I don't know. Maybe in a few hours."

After a few long minutes of silence, she finally looked him in the eye with chips of blue ice.

"Then go. And don't come back."

Shinichi had never been an obedient little boy. His mother, father, teachers, and practically anyone who knew him could attest to that. But this time was an exception.

This time, he turned silently on his heels and exited the door of the Mouri Detective Agency, as quickly and as suddenly as he had come.

Of course, he never heard the agonized sobbing from a girl, the very girl who, moments before, had stared at him with ice-cold eyes.

Maybe if he had paused a little to admire the scenery on his walk away from the detective agency, or maybe if he had stopped to pick up a phone call, maybe-just maybe-she might have caught up to him.

But, Fate is cruel. He didn't stop.

And so when Ran brushed away her tears and ran after him, heart pounding, desperately calling his name, all she faced was a bleak, empty street, not at all unlike the street that Shinichi-as Conan-had faced in his dream: the street that seemed to have both produced and snatched away their loved ones at the same time.

oOo

What was I, stupid? What kind of foolish person brushes away someone who has gone through so much pain and regret, has waded through so many piles of lies and deceit, JUST to suddenly show up on your doorstep to brighten your day with that cock-eyed grin of his? I'll tell you who.

Me.

And it wasn't to say that I really expected him to leave. I mean, face it, Shinichi does not do what I tell him to do. "Wait for me!" I yelled to him back at Tropical Land.

Did he listen? No. Now look at what he's gotten himself into.

Shinichi's mother had always told me to forgive her "dear little Shin-chan" for not listening to me, and that he was only trying to prove his independence, blah blah blah.

Surprise, surprise. The one time when I actually _don't _want him to listen to me, he does.

Have you ever heard that saying that goes, "When she tells you to leave, she really wants you to stay?" That's what I wanted him to do. Stay.

Now that I think about it, that was not so smart of me. I mean, what was he supposed to say? "Ran, I'm very sorry, but I must stay here with you. It would break my poor heart into shreds if I took one step outside of this door. So please, do not ask me to leave."

Sure. Suuuuure. Like he would say that.

I was being selfish, on my part, that I can say.

I don't know why people like Sonoko always think that I'm so brave and kind and wonderful, because I'm not. I have my weaknesses. I have my selfish times. It's just that...that no one but me recognizes them.

Because I'm _not _strong. I'm _not _patient. I'm _not _caring.

It was partly because of the adrenaline coursing through my veins, partly because of all my muscles screaming at me, "Run after him!", and partly because of this sudden revelation that no one was perfect.

And no one gets a third chance.

I was faintly aware of tears gushing down my cheeks as I hastily (and desperately) wiped them away. _I am not that weak, _I told myself. _I am not weak._

Strange. Just moments ago I had admitted to myself that I was weak. But the human mind works in weird ways, I guess.

There is one thing that I must say: Shinichi is brilliant when it comes to Holmes and all that mystery stuff, but he is clueless when it comes to other types of deductions. I mean, he can deduce why the murderer killed someone and how, and he can rattle off all sorts of random facts that you never really wanted to know about Holmes (There is a reason I call him a detective otaku), but...

He's clueless when it comes to reasoning about my feelings.

There. I've said it. Happy?

I think I've always known, though. That he was special. That he would, or I hoped he would, become more than a friend.

I don't think I really want to know if he feels the same about me. Either way, I'm going to be upset. If he doesn't, well, that's a no-brainer; my world will come crashing down and shattering into a million pieces. If he does, then I'm going to be sadder.

Because who wants to be separated from someone they love and who loves them back?

So I hope he doesn't. And I hope he does. Is that too much to ask for?

oOo

I was in Kudo-kun's house, searching for...I don't know. My feet just led me here, and I let them. As soon as he entered the room-in his 17-year-old form-I knew something was wrong.

Something had happened.

I was almost tempted to tell him, "I told you so!" and go on and on about how he shouldn't have taken the temporary antidote. But I didn't.

Why I didn't, I cannot say.

He didn't even notice me; he just went into his old room and shut the door. I heard the click of the lock as he turned the knob. Somehow, I knew that he wasn't coming out in a long time.

If there was any way to ease the pain, I would try. Just because my life wasn't happy doesn't mean that I have to make others' miserable. And so I racked my brain for some kind of clue. Some kind of clue so significant that it would make Kudo-kun come out of that locked room. Some kind of clue that would make him begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel again.

For the first time in months, I dove back into the bittersweet memories that I shared with my sister; the scarce moments where I could lose myself in the sweetness of forgetting all my worries. Where I could forget my dark past and what they were forcing me to do. Where I could forget all the heartache and sadness I had caused. Where I was free to be me.

The clue didn't come to me like most ideas had, like a bright new lightbulb coming out of the middle of nowhere to provide me with the newest ideas for my project. Instead, it was as if the clue had been there all along; just a path in the many crossroads of my the forest of my life to walk along and discover.

She didn't outright mention it. I recalled her saying, "I came here as soon as I can, Shiho! It's not my fault that that bar is so far from here." I didn't question her at the time, nor did I think about the fact that she came from the Organization's leaders with a new mission.

It was simple. If it were Kudo-kun, he would've said something along the lines of, "You can't even figure out something so elementary?"

Sort of like his idol, Holmes, always said to Watson.

But then again, I am nowhere near as precious to him as Watson is to Holmes. For all I know, I'm just a tool that he needs; something to get him back to the person he really cares about.

Then there are times when that theory is proved wrong; when he tries to save me; when he does something so out of the ordinary-and so nice-that I simply have to stop and marvel at the kindness of his heart.

In a way, he's pretty similar to her. That girl who's always on his mind.

They're both trusting; with the exception that Kudo-kun's trust has been dilated by too many betrayals, too many murder cases, too many exposures to the harsh and cruel reality of the real world. Because no one is going to care that much for you here. It's sad, but true: Most humans are selfish.

In fact, all humans are selfish. It just depends on to what extent they are selfish. Some people, like that girl at the Detective Agency, are not very selfish. Some, like me, are very selfish.

And some, like my sister, were so unselfish that they risked their lives to save selfish people and were never heard from again.

But now isn't the time to go trekking off into Memory Land.

That dark, forbidden place I was thinking about? It was another piece to the puzzle that Kudo-kun was trying so valiantly to put together; a jigsaw puzzle with as many pieces as there are grains of sand on the beach.

I couldn't be sure that They were really there. It could be a false clue. It could be a trap. It could be the straw that broke Kudo-kun's back. And as much sarcastic remarks that I told him each day, I did not want Kudo-kun to collapse.

You seem surprised that I care. Here's a clue: Don't be. I'm not like that bastard Gin who only cares about pleasing Anokata day in and day out. He probably even dreams of new missions that will promote his status in the Organization at night.

All this ran through my head in less that a second, and before I knew it, I was at the door; the very same door that Kudo-kun had disappeared into a little more that 30 minutes ago.

"Kudo-kun?" I knocked at the door.

Silence.

"I have something to tell you."

More silence. I began to wonder if he secretly snuck out of the window of the room.

"It's about Them."

I smiled as I heard him unlock the door.

oOo

**Change of Setting: Neyagawa City, Osaka**

It wasn't that bad, right? He couldn't have hurt her that bad, right? He was just trying to help, right? He's going crazy, right?

Right.

Hattori sighed as he wiped the blood away from his fist. It stung. "If I don't get this treated soon, who knows what will happen to me," he muttered, half to himself and half to no one in particular.

There was only one thing to do. He took a deep breath and stepped up to Kazuha's door and almost knocked.

It was a familiar gesture, really. Heiji suddenly remembered all the countless times he had knocked on her door, whether it be to help her on a homework assignment, just for fun, or to comfort her when she was feeling down.

And yes, of course, there were the times when he stepped up to say sorry to her for some stupid thing that he had blurted out of his big mouth (Must. Learn. To. Control. Self!). Like today.

The only problem was, unlike all their earlier disagreements, he wasn't sure how to apologize. I mean, sure, he knew that insulting her appearance wasn't the best thing to do, and certainly not very intelligent, but what was he going to do? Suddenly pour into a detailed account of Kudo and his "small problem?"

Sure. He would say, "Oh, Kazuha, I'm sorry. I only said that because there's this huge evil organization who's out to destroy Kudo and anyone who helps him. And by the way, your boss is a member of that organization. So really, it's all your fault for signing up for the dumb model thing. Yep, just an aho-y action as usual."

She would probably just stare at him, say "Very funny. Nice one!", and slam the door in his face. Which was definitely not a good thing.

Change to Plan B: Make huge puppy eyes and suck up to her. Say, "Kazuha. I am so sorry for causing you all this heartbreak and tears. Please don't cry. Your happiness is my only reason for living. I am such an aho. Will you please do the honor of accepting my apology and becoming my friend?"

Yeah, right. He wasn't good at puppy eyes, anyway. She was good at them. Whenever she did puppy eyes, he just wanted to give up and give in.

Time for Plan C: Surprise her with a gift. Go to store and buy those $20 bouquets of roses...nah, she wouldn't appreciate them anyway. Kazuha didn't like expensive things. No brand names for her!

In a way, that was good, but it was also bad. The girl was so selfless that she never really told Heiji what she wanted, or what she really liked, unlike that Sonoko girl was always telling that dark-skinned karate boyfriend of hers...was his name Makoto?

Heiji ran a hand through his hair in frustration and abandoned Plan C.

He took a deep breath and knocked at Kazuha's door. Light, quick footsteps reverbrated through the floor. Heiji knew without looking that it was her. He held his breath as she unlocked the door.

Kazuha's face was flushed, and there was a pencil tucked behind one ear. Heiji had a sudden urge to reach out and tuck back the stray hairs that were threatening to erupt from her ponytail.

For a moment, she stared right through him without seeing anything. When she finally looked up, her eyes were cold and expressionless.

"What?" she asked flatly.

Heiji was shocked. This was Kazuha? She would never be so...so mean to him. He was her best friend, right? They had shared numerous memories together.

He felt a sudden twinge in his heart, and it saddened him. He wasn't her friend anymore. He began thinking of all the things that he had yet to show her, all the experiences that they had yet to share...

Kazuha was becoming impatient. She began to shut to door, and Heiji panicked.

"Um..." he looked down at his shoes and began fiddling with the side of his jacket. Heiji dared to sneak a peek at Kazuha, whose expression had changed from unfriendliness to boredom.

Kazuha crossed her arms across her chest. "If you don't have anything to say, I'd like to shut the door and get started on my homework." She paused and looked him directly in the eyes, and the bitterness was back. "Alone."

Hattori knew that he had to say something, or she would shut the door and forget all about him...which was definitely not a good thing. "Look, I'm sorry!" he finally managed. "I didn't mean that."

Kazuha raised an eyebrow and looked faintly amused. If she was acting, she was doing a pretty good job at it. "Your apology is noted. Acceptance is pending."

And with those wonderful parting words, she slammed the door in his face.

Hattori sighed. It was going to be a long day.

oOo

AN: Going to sleep. Too tired. Bye!


End file.
